Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Chaozhou Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Chaozhou

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $650 in Chaozhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $1,036 in Chaozhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $1,423 in Chaozhou.

Living in Medellin is roughly 152% more expensive than in Chaozhou, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Chaozhou is 53% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$2.24 ¥15.01

258.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$23.87 ¥160

102.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$3.49 ¥23.39

169.91%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$1.50 ¥10.05

96.00%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 COP 5,735

$0.48 ¥3.23

287.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.29 ¥1.93

403.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$1.22 ¥8.14

163.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$2.87 ¥19.19

98.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$1.53 ¥10.24

-5.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$1.51 ¥10.12

58.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$0.77 ¥5.19

120.78%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$1.13 ¥7.57

155.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$9.60 ¥64.3

4.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$2.45 ¥16.41

306.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$12.08 ¥80.9

17.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$2.28 ¥15.25

74.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$0.92 ¥6.17

71.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$0.85 ¥5.67

152.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$1.80 ¥12.05

27.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$0.61 ¥4.07

227.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$0.43 ¥2.87

251.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$0.46 ¥3.11

160.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.31 ¥2.09

312.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$3.01 ¥20.13

27.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$10.96 ¥73.4

27.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$0.78 ¥5.20

119.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$1.17 ¥7.84

134.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$0.29 ¥1.91

331.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

$17.60 ¥118

342.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$0.98 ¥6.57

33.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$0.31 ¥2.11

600.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$7.23 ¥48.41

14.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.17 ¥7.81

16.24%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$19.4K ¥129.8K

41.80%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$17.2K ¥115.0K

112.74%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$169 COP 519.2K

$43.66 ¥292

286.44%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$4.25 ¥28.45

219.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$11.27 ¥75.5

151.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$40.60 ¥272

12.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$14.88 ¥99.7

15.73%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$6.46 ¥43.24

2.94%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$803 COP 2.5M

$497 ¥3,330

61.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$24.1K ¥161.1K

-61.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$13.15 ¥88.1

564.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$28.26 ¥189

110.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$90.6 ¥607

53.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$59.8 ¥400

70.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$294 ¥1,968

264.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$185 ¥1,238

253.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$599 ¥4,015

221.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$376 ¥2,518

178.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$3,185 ¥21.3K

29.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$1,915 ¥12.8K

-11.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$480 ¥3,214

36.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

3.46

216.18%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Chaozhou: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $294 in Chaozhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 37% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $24.00 in Chaozhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $181 per month, with Chaozhou cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Medellin vs Chaozhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Chaozhou differ by about 152% in total monthly costs ($1,641 vs $650 including rent). Chaozhou is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 37% higher in Medellin, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,071 in Medellin versus $294 in Chaozhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $803 in Medellin versus $497 in Chaozhou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 66% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $650 in Chaozhou versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Chaozhou but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Chaozhou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Chaozhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 152% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.